“No One Wants to Have Such a Disorder”: Bodybuilder Mike Mentzer Once Opened Up About His Life-Threatening Lung Disease

Mike Mentzer, one of the most legendary bodybuilders in history, was never the one to give up. Even after a severe shoulder injury, which could have ended his career before it started, Mentzer never stopped. Not just that, also when the bodybuilder was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, his spirit to fight the disease did not go away. During his last interview, Mentzer shared the details of the illness and how he fought back.

Mike, in an old interview, revealed how he felt while he was suffering from the disease.

Mike Mentzer’s battle with life

In 2001, the bodybuilding community lost the legendary Mike Mentzer 2001 due to complicated heart issues. Although Mentzer had never won any Mr. Olympia title, he was labeled as the bodybuilder with the best physique.

Just a few weeks before his death, Mentzer had a detailed interview with The Sandwich of Iron Magazine. In this Q&A, the famous bodybuilder discussed his and Ray’s Berger’s disease. Mentzer revealed, “For those who might be interested in why Mike Mentzer has blood clots in his lungs, it was discovered a while back when my brother, Ray, was having surgery for clots in his arms at the places where they hook up the dialysis machine.”

The effects of the disease were serious and life-threatening. But even a rare lung disease did not stop Mentzer from living his life to the fullest. He said, “It’s interesting. On one level it bothered me. Of course, no one wants to have such a disorder, but it never got me down.” Mentzer was not one of those to sulk around, but rather fight the disease. “I don’t walk around biting my nails and wringing my hands all day. I take it in stride, trust the doctors, and have quite an optimistic outlook,” added the bodybuilder.

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Although Mentzer never had a glorious moment in his career, he was famous for his various controversies, including a fight with the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mike Mentzer vs Arnold Schwarzenegger

The 1980 Mr. Olympia contest was a controversial one for Mentzer. However, the main reason behind it was Schwarzenegger’s return to competition, even after announcing his retirement from the sport earlier.

However, after seeing “The Austrian Oak’s” physique backstage, Mentzer was confident that he was finally going to win his first Mr. Olympia title. Unfortunately, things did not seem to go his way, as Schwarzenegger went on to win his seventh consecutive title in Sydney. Mentzer believed he was robbed of the title and also made his opinion known to the public. Even after the contest ended, Mentzer never stopped bringing up the 1980 Mr. Olympia event in conversations.

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Of course, this had led several bodybuilding fans to dislike Mentzer, but he stayed firm on his statement. Nevertheless, even today, Mentzer is a well-known name in the bodybuilding industry and an inspiration to many.